ST. LOUIS _ Hundreds turned out on a sunny Saturday in St. Louis' downtown Kiener Plaza to see former Vice President Joe Biden speak ahead of Missouri's primary.
In a roughly 10-minute speech, Biden celebrated his Super Tuesday wins and hit on talking points including affordable health care, access to rural health care, climate change, gun control and reducing student loan debt.
The former vice president said he would build on the legacy of "the most successful president of our lifetime, Barack Obama" in part by building on the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, and making health care more accessible at rural hospitals.
Windy conditions made it difficult to hear Biden at times especially as a protester yelling "no to crime bill Joe" threatened to drown out his voice. Biden wrote a 1994 crime bill that critics say lead to more incarceration of black Americans.
"Let dairy die" activists campaigning against the dairy industry also made an appearance, heckling Biden loudly. The vegan group made headlines Tuesday when they managed to get on stage with Biden in Los Angeles.
But Biden said he would be a unifying force.
"I promise you we're going to bring together Americans, every race, ethnicity, gender, economic status, Democrats, Republicans, Independents."
The U.S. would rejoin the Paris Agreement on "day one" of his presidency, should he be elected to office, Biden said. Under the Trump administration, the U.S. withdrew from the global accord signed by nearly 200 nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Biden also took aim at President Donald Trump, who he said "embraces autocrats" and harms relationships with foreign allies.
"I've met every major foreign leader," Biden said. "I would repair our alliances."
St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green, St. Louis Board of Alderman President Louis Reed and former U.S. ambassador to Ireland Kevin O'Malley spoke ahead of Biden.
"Joe Biden is the one we can trust to build the bridges we need," Green said.
Reed said Biden could unify voters.
"We need to elect someone who unifies people instead of divides," Reed said.
Zach Thompson, 20, of Waterloo, is a supporter who says he agrees Biden could unify the country. Thompson supported Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren before she dropped out of the race, and said Biden is less "divisive" than Sanders.
"It was just kind of a no-brainer that he was the unifying candidate and the one we need to defeat the divisiveness of Donald Trump," said Thompson, an English education student at Missouri State University.
Demetrius Alfred, president of St. Louis Firefighters Local 73, said he believes Biden is a friend of first responders.
"I think he would show the people of St. Louis how he would bring them together to get the job done," Alfred said.
Biden was expected to visit Kansas City's National World War I Museum and Memorial later Saturday.
